Brussels, 04/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 4 March, the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) took its first practical and very visible steps towards modernising and streamlining its selection methods, which will be fully operational next year. For the very first time, notices of competition will now be published in all 23 official languages. Potential candidates are encouraged to take a number of voluntary interactive tests before they even begin to fill in the application form. These tests will help enable them to assess for themselves whether they are ready to take a selection competition. A clearer application form and on-line assistance for filling this in will make the process much easier for candidates. EPSO is also launching a new and more intuitive website layout and a brand new logo, “EU career - smart choice”, which emphasises the wide range of attractive opportunities offered by the European institutions.
In the next few months, EPSO will focus on steadily improving the service it offers to candidates and on marketing and advertising competitions to specific target groups to ensure that a sufficient number of candidates with appropriate profiles apply.
An acute shortage currently exists for candidate linguists to work as conference interpreters and translators and of suitably qualified applicants in more general fields, where citizens' awareness of European careers is lower.
On 18 July 2008, EPSO announced a development programme (IP EPSO/08/01) for modernising its approach for the selection of candidates. There is also a strategy to attract good candidates from all over Europe.
From 2010, candidates will be tested on the basis of their skills rather than their knowledge. The 15 month waiting period between the candidate's initial application and taking up employment will now be cut from over 15 months to just 5 or 9 months. This will be achieved by organising competitions in annual cycles from 2010 onwards. (L.C./transl.rh)